Chris Harris with the Lombardi trophy after returning from Super Bowl 50 in February. (Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post)

The wait is almost over football fans. It’s nearly time to see the slate the Broncos will have to face to defend their Super Bowl championship.

The NFL announced that the 2016 regular season schedule will be released Thursday night at 6 p.m. mountain time on NFL Network.

What we already know is that the Broncos will host the first game of the regular season Thursday, Sept. 8. A few of their most likely opponents for that game — Houston and the return of quarterback Brock Osweiler, Carolina and a Super Bowl 50 rematch, Indianapolis and a potential Peyton Manning tribute or New England kicking off another installment of the bitter AFC rivalry.

The rest of the Broncos home games will be division dates with Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego and welcoming Atlanta to the Mile High city.

The Broncos’ strength of schedule based on their opponents’ 2016 record ranks 14th at .504 winning percentage, per the NFL. The Falcons have the toughest strength of schedule at .555. The Packers have the easiest road with a .457 strength of schedule.

The regular season will conclude Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017 and Super Bowl LI will be held in Houston on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017.

The NFL announced Tuesday that they have done away with the league-ran rookie symposium and replaced it with a new rookie transition program hosted by each NFL team.

The new format includes each team’s drafted and undrafted rookies for the first time. The switch was designed to ensure each team had a customized orientation program for rookies to adjust to the community and NFL.

Denver, as well as the rest of the AFC, will host their programs June 22-24. The NFC programs are scheduled to run June 20-22.

Teams will be mandated to include core discussions on social responsibility, respect at work, mental health, character and values, and player engagement resources.Read more…

Broncos linebacker Von Miller will receive the franchise tag if he and the team cannot reach a long-term deal by March 1. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Franchise tags were introduced in 1993 to help teams, especially small-market clubs, retain their key players. The fully guaranteed contracts are given to restricted free agents, with the values based on a player’s position and salary cap. The tool is helpful to teams, but players typically dislike the insecurity that comes with the one-year contracts.

Nonexclusive franchise players can negotiate and sign offer sheets with any team, but the incumbent team can match any offer to keep the player. If the team doesn’t match, it receives two first-round draft picks as compensation. The value of nonexclusive franchise tags is the greater of the top five cap hits at the player’s position over the last five years applied to the current cap, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year salary.

Exclusive franchise tags bar players from negotiating with any team but their own. The value is the greater of the average of the five largest salaries at his position by the end of restricted free agency, or 120 percent of the his salary the previous season.

Transition tag values are based on the top 10 salaries or 120 percent of the player’s previous year salary — again, whichever is greater. Players can negotiate with other teams and the original team has the first right of refusal, like the nonexclusive tender. But unlike the franchise tag, the original team does not receive any compensation if it doesn’t match.

Teams are granted only franchise and one transition tag per year, and they have until 2 p.m. on March 1 to designate them. The sides can continue to negotiate on a long-term contract, but if one is not reached by 2 p.m. on July 15, the player will play on the tag and a long-term deal cannot be renegotiated until after the team’s last regular-season game.

With the salary cap for 2016 now set at $155.27 million, below are the calculated tag values for each position. Given the variance by position, you can see why the Broncos don’t want to use the tag on quarterback Brock Osweiler and would prefer to not have to use it on defensive end Malik Jackson, either.

INDIANAPOLIS — NFL linebackers aren’t supposed to be the same size and possess the same speed as Heisman-winning running backs.

Von Miller is the exception.

In 2011, when Miller turned heads with his NFL scouting combine performance, he clocked in a shade faster and weight a pound less than Derrick Henry, who ran through combine drills Friday.

Henry ran a 4.54-second 40-yard dash, tying for the 11th-fastest time among running backs this year. Henry, known to be big for his position, weighed in higher than he expected, at 247 pounds, but told reporters he wasn’t concerned about the extra pounds. And the added weight didn’t seem to hinder his performance.

With important players like outside linebacker Von Miller, quarterback Brock Osweiler and defensive end Malik Jackson approaching free agency, the Broncos will need a good bit of cap space if they hope to retain as impending free agents as they can.

Denver will carry over $3.3 million in unused 2015 cap space into 2016, according to data released by the NFL Players Association.

That number is around the league median in carryover space this season. 14 teams will carry over a lower amount of cap space than the Broncos. The highest carryover is from Jacksonville, which will have a nearly $33 million increase in spending limit than the base 2016 cap number. The lowest is Seattle, which will have an extra $11,587.

The total carryover amount from 2015 is $203,963,112. The average team carryover is $6.4 million.

The Broncos are one of three teams (Saints, Rams) not to carry over their full allotment in available 2015 cap space to 2016.

The NFL will set the 2016 salary cap sometime in March. The expectation is that it will be a large increase over 2015’s base cap number. Each team’s carryover along with player escalators, bonuses and incentives combine to form a team’s personal spending limit for 2016.

For the years 2013-2016, NFL teams must spend an average of 89-percent of the salary cap over that four-year period.

Now the head coach in Oakland, Del Rio has another young but dominant edge rusher in Khalil Mack, who notoriously ran roughshod over the Broncos’ offensive line for five sacks of Brock Osweiler in a victory at Denver this past season.

But on Wednesday, the first day of the NFL scouting combine at Lucas Oil Stadium, Del Rio put Miller in an elite class following his postseason performance and Super Bowl MVP award.

“Everybody got to see Von a few weeks ago when he dominated the Super Bowl and won MVP. He’s a special talent. His ability to bend and his quickness off the edge is probably, maybe only Derrick Thomas had that burst and ‘bendability,'” Del Rio said. “Someone like that is special. Just a great impact player.”Read more…

The NFL made great jumps to improve the awareness and treatment of on-field concussions. Those efforts have reduced the amount of dangerous early returns from concussions, but haven’t decreased the overall number.

NFL data released Friday revealed that there have been 271 concussions during the 2015 preseason and regular season, the highest since at least 2011. The 2014 season brought a four-year low of 206, but this season brought a drastic increase.

Peyton Manning after the Broncos’ AFC championship victory over the Patriots. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

Your Super Bowl 50 prop bets, courtesy of MyTopSportsbooks.com. If you’re wise, you’re betting on Peyton Manning to become a rapper with his brother, Eli:

Odds to win Super Bowl 50:
Carolina: 10/21
Denver: 7/4

Over-under on the final score: 45.5
Over-under on the score after the first quarter: 9.5
Over-under on the score at halftime: 22.5
Odds on the Super Bowl going to overtime: 7/1
Odds the Super Bowl winner returns to the Super Bowl next season: 7/3

The Empire State Building in New York City will be lit up in Broncos colors in honor of championship weekend. (Photo via Empire State Building)

The Empire State Building will be lit up in the colors of all four conference championship teams on Sunday.

The north side of the building will be lit in blue, orange and white, in honor of the Broncos. The east side will be lit in blue, red and white for the Patriots. The west side will get blue and white for the Panthers. And the south side will be lit in red and white for the Cardinals.

Following both conference championship games, the tower lights will be split in the colors of the two Super Bowl-bound teams.

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Running back C.J. Anderson breaks away from Pittsburgh’s Ryan Shazier in the Broncos’ loss at Pittsburgh on Dec. 20.

Only a limited number of tickets for the Broncos’ divisional playoff game, against the Steelers on Jan. 17 at Sports Authority Field, went on sale to those in the Rocky Mountain region last Monday. The majority of the tickets sold out in a matter of minutes, but those willing to pay big money — emphasis on “big” — to see the Broncos in the postseason weren’t shut out.

A quick scan of four secondary-ticket marketplaces — NFL Ticket Exchange, the league’s official resale marketplace, via Ticketmaster; StubHub; Razorgator; and Vivid Seats — around 4 p.m. Sunday showed tickets valued as little as $170 to as much as $11,421, not including the $100,000 outlier on StubHub.

Not surprisingly, the variance in price is wide, even for the same tickets. A seat in section 121, row 16 is going for $11,421 on StubHub but $7,778 on NFL Ticket Exchange.

What’s up: When Palmer crumpled to the ground 12 months ago clutching his left knee, it was fair to wonder if he’d ever come back, and if so, at what level. He tore the same ACL for the second time in eight years. He faced a difficult recovery. Palmer entered this season at age 35 surrounded by questions. His performances have been a series of exclamation points. Palmer leads the NFL with 27 touchdown passes, leaving him on pace for a career-high 43.

Background: Palmer won the Heisman Trophy at USC then blended into the NFL canvas as a good, but not spectacular player. He experienced two winning seasons in first nine seasons with Cincinnati and Oakland. His career in a ditch, Palmer found traction with Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, who encourages Palmer to throw down field.

Renck’s take: Remember when Ryan Lindley clumped through the worst playoff performance in history last season? The Cardinals would like to forget. With Palmer healthy, Arizona can reach the Super Bowl. Arians predicted they would be there in the offseason. Palmer and an improved running game provide a strong argument. Palmer is 21-4 in his past 25 starts. And he’s not afraid to go deep. He has completed 39 passes of 21-plus yards, second in the league. Palmer never has won a postseason game. That will change this season.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt took a verbal shot at Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and his nickname after the Texans defeated the Bengals in week 10 on Monday night.

During an interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters, Watt talked about how the defense had a big goal in stopping Dalton. “Our goal was to come out here and make the Red Rifle look like a Red Ryder BB gun,” Watt said.

Dalton took exception to Watt’s interview and had a few thoughts of his own during his press conference.Read more…

What’s up: Running backs became disposable parts over the past decade. They represent football’s equivalent of late-inning relievers. Everyone needs them, but no one wants to pay them or draft them. Todd Gurley caused a rethink, despite tearing the ACL in his left knee last season at Georgia. He has rushed for 664 yards, third in NFL history in a player’s first six games.

Background: The Rams trusted his rehab and highlight reel enough to take him with the 10th pick. The Chargers selected Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon 15th. It marked the first time since 2012 any running back had been taken in the first round.

Renck’s take: Special talent knows no timetable. Drafting a running back in the first round typically is unnecessary, but not when evaluating a talent like Gurley. Billed as the best college back since Adrian Peterson, he boasts the same type of burst as the Vikings star. Gurley can take a hit, but what makes him unique is his breakaway speed. He leads the NFL with four rushes of more than 45 yards. Gurley insisted he had no doubt he would return at full strength from his surgery. The Rams took a cautious approach, keeping him out the first two games. If the Rams move to Los Angeles — the increasingly likely outcome — he could become the league’s next heavily-marketed superstar.

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With November being the NFL’s Salute to Service month and Veterans Day on the horizon, it’s good to note the Denver Broncos are doing their part.

The Broncos nominated defensive end Malik Jackson for the NFL Salute to Service Award, which every year honors a league member who has shown exemplary interest and time into helping the military community.

Jackson was chosen due his work as a spokesman for Helping Hands with Freedom. The organization’s purpose is to help military families and children dealing with circumstances of death, injury or deployment in their family.

“We want to raise money for military families to be able to pay bills, pay for necessities—food, water, washer and dryer—things we take for granted sometimes,” Jackson said via Broncos’ press release. “They have had hard times, so it’s one of those things you’re trying to help them do something big.”

The fourth-year defensive end has been an integral piece to the Broncos’ No. 1 ranked defense. Jackson has 27 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks and countless more quarterback hits.

His aggression on the field is a stark contrast to his compassion off of it.

Jackson’s newest venture is with Helping Hands with Freedom’s Lucky 7 for Kids Campaign. The purpose is to raise money by encouraging 100,000 people to donate $7 to the campaign in order to achieve the goal of $700,000. All donations go to Helping Hands for Freedoms’ four military youth program areas: Life Enrichment, Sports & Education, Life Assistance and the Dream “Chaser” Program.

Jackson is one of 30 nominees for the award. The winner will have a $25,000 donation made in his/her name to the Military Aid Societies of each branch of service by USAA.

The two finalists for the award will be announced in January. The winner will be announced the night before Super Bowl 50 at the NFL Honors award show.

“I think we can start doing something big, especially during the Salute to Service month with the NFL,” Jackson said via Broncos’ press release. “It’s just $7 a person. If you can do that, it would be great and go a long way. We’re trying to take it to the next level. It’s a blessing that the NFL does something like this. It’s just something that shows we can give back to these people who have given so much.”

Jackson held a kid’s football camp in Colorado Springs this past summer. He granted complimentary entry for children of military families.

Panthers defensive end Jared Allen won the award last year as a member of the Chicago Bears.

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When: Monday night Cam Newton faces off with Andrew Luck. This was supposed to be Luck’s coronation season and Newton’s comeuppance. Oops.

What’s up: Newton enters the game as a strong MVP candidate, having guided the Panthers to their first 6-0 start in team history. Newton bathes in the spotlight. In three Monday night starts, he owns a 102.8 rating, with seven passing touchdowns and two rushing scores.

Background: Newton and Luck share a common bond. Both were finalists for the Heisman Trophy after the 2010 season. Had Luck gone pro after his junior season at Stanford, he would be leading the Panthers instead of inspiring the “Suck for Luck” campaign that landed him in Indianapolis following Peyton Manning’s neck injury. Now the question is being asked if Newton is better.

Renck’s take: Luck continues to trudge through a down year with a terrible offensive line while dealing with a shoulder injury that has compromised his accuracy. Still, Newton’s growth demands respect. He has evolved from a diva into a genuine leader. And he brings a rare duality to the position: His passing stats are decent — 1,275 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions with scarce weapons — but his rushing marks stand out: 245 yards and four scores. He’s on pace to run for 653 yards, more than any Bronco. Colts cornerback Darius Butler summed up Netwon’s season thusly: “He’s kind of like the player you would create on Madden.”

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) looks into the crowd after giving his team a 27-7 lead with a touchdown pass to Shane Vereen (34) against the Denver Broncos during the second quarter of action at Gillette Stadium. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

THREE UP

1. Patriots: Forgot slot receivers. Julian Edelman is great by any standard. He has scored 10 TDs in past nine games counting the playoffs.

2. Packers: RB Eddie Lacy is good for 85 to 90 yards per game from scrimmage, balance that makes Aaron Rodgers more dangerous.

3. Bengals: They haven’t won a playoff game since 1991. But this team is built like a championship contender. Andy Dalton, yes, Andy Dalton is the league’s top-ranked quarterback. Team looking for first 5-0 start since 1988.

The median ticket price for Broncos home games this season are $409, trailing only the Seattle Seahawks ($467). The New England Patriots ($404), Green Bay Packers ($380) and Dallas Cowboys ($285) round out the top five, while the Kansas City Chiefs sit at the bottom, with a $99 median ticket price.

On the road, Manning and the Broncos’ top defense impact their opponents’ median ticket prices by an average of 36 percent. Only the Packers (66 percent), Cowboys (54), Patriots (40) and Steelers (37) have a great impact. The Jacksonville Jaguars have the greatest negative impact (-26 percent).

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.